Steering lever construction



July 22, 1952 M. F. SNYDER 2,603,981

STEERING LEVER CONSTRUCTION Filed April 22, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1Invenior- MERToN F. SNYDER Aftor-nea.

July 22, 1952 STEERING LEVER CONSTRUCTION Filed April 22, 1946 M. F.SNYDE'R 2,603,981

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Inventor- 6- M'ERT'oN F SNYDER Attdrnev Patented July22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE j I LEVER CONSTRUCTION Merton F.Snyder, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Scott-Atwater ManufacturingCompany, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota I ApplicationApril 22, 1946,:Serial No. 064,143

It is an objectrofthis; invention to providea structure of outboardmotor having a steering ;arm,--a handle-connected at one end to said arm,andvmovable to steering position in substantial longitudinal-alignmentwith said armand movable to'carrying position substantiallyat rightangles tosaid arm. It is a further object of the inventionto pro- Y videsuch a structure as set forth in the preceding 1 paragraph, togetherwith simple and efficient means for locking said handle in said carryingposition.

"It is another object of the invention to provide an outboard motorstructure comprising a substantially vertically extending drive-shaft, a

steering arm extending substantially perpendicularto said shaft, ahandle connectedat one end to said arm by a pivot extending transverselythereof-so that said handle can be moved to steering position insubstantial longitudinal alignment with-said arm and to positionsubstantially at right angles to said arm, one of said members having anopening extending longitudinally thereof and the other of said membershaving a portion receivable in said opening,v and means carried by oneof said members and movable to position to lock said handle in said lastmentioned position. a

' It is' more specifically an object of the invention to provide anoutboard motor structure comprising a steering arm, a handle pivoted atone end to said arm by a transverse pivot so that said arm is swingableto a position in substantial longitudinal alignment with said arm and toa position substantially at right angles to said arm, said handle havinga slot extending longitudinally thereof atsaid end, said arm having aportion receivablein. saidslot when said arm is in said first mentionedposition, a sleeve rotatably carried on said handle having a slottherein through which said portion passes, said sleeve being movable toposition to. bring the sa'id'slot therein out of alignment with saidportion when ,saidhandle moves to said last mentioned. position to locksaid handle. in said last mentioned L position, stops preferably being.provided for said sleeve.

These and other-objects and advantages of the vinvention will befullyset forth inthe following eral views and in which; V

9 claims. (01. vi-551.3)

Fig. 1 is a perspective viewiof an outboard motor having the inventionapplied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of a portion of the steering arm andhandle of said motor;

Fig. .3 is apartial view similar toFig. 2, some parts-being-broken. awayand others shown in vertical section; a 1 l Fig; 4 isa central verticalsection of said arm and handle; I v

. Fig. 5 is apartialbottom plan view of said arm and handle, some partsbeing. broken away and others shown in horizontal section;

Fig. 6 is-a vertical section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 8 showing thehandle in a different position, as indicated bythe arrows;

Fig. .7'is ahorizontal section taken online- 8-8 of Fig. 6; as indicatedby thearrows; and

Fig. 8 is a ;view similar .to Fig. '7, with'parts shown indifierentpositions.

Referring to the drawings, 'in Fig. 1, an outboard motor II] is showncomprising thedriving shaft; and exhaust housing Illa, the cylinder Theclamp Ille for clamping the motor to a boat is also shown Said motor Incomprises a driving shaft 10;, which, when the motor is in operatingposition on a boat, extends substantiallyvertically. A steering arm IIis shown which will be constructed and arranged to turn a tube I07secured in a sleeve I071. forming a portion of housing I'M. Steering armII is secured to sleeve IIlh by screws or bolts IIIg. While steering armI I could be variously formed, in the embodiment of theinvention itisillustrated as a flat bar. A handle I2 is provided, the same having astem or core I2a which isbifurcated at one end and thus provided withspaced ears or lugs I21). .Handle I2 isv pivotally connected toarmv I Iby apivot comprising a headed and nutted .bolt I3 extending transverselythrough lugs I21 and arm II. The head of .bolt I3, and the nut thereonare respectively received in recesses in lugs I2b. Handle I2.can.thus beswung to steering position,-as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, in whichit is in substantial longitudinal alignment with .armv I I, and. itcanjbe swung to'carrying position, as show'n in fulllines in Fig. 1 andalsoin 'Fig. 6 in which itis substantially at right angles to arm II.Member Ii'a i provided with a cen- I trallongitudinal slot I2c adjacentthe'lugs [2b,

and arm I I has a terminalportion orprojection Ila. which is' receivablein slot I20. 'When handle I2 is in steering position, portion Ila isdisposed in slot I20, as shown in Fig.4, and the inclined end surface ofportion II 'a engages the inclined surface IZd at the bottom of'slotl2c, as

and partially embracing said projection, said sleeve having a slot inone side for receiving said projection when said handle is in said firstmentioned position, said sleeve being rotatable to bring said slottherein out of alignment with said projection when said handle is insaid sec-0nd mentioned position to lock said handle in said secondmentioned position.

5. The structure set forth in claim 4, said pivoted end of said handlebeing bifurcated and embracing said arm and pivoted thereto by a pivotextending transversely of said handle and arm.

6. A device of the class described comprising a steering arm, a handlehaving laterally spaced lugs at one end, a pivot extending through saidarm and lugs and fitting therein so that said handle is limited torotative motion about the axis of said pivot said handle being movableabout said axis to a position in substantial longitudinal alignment withsaid arm and to a position substantially at right angles to said arm,

said handle having an opening extending longi- 1 tudinally thereininwardly of said lugs and said arm having a portion extending beyondsaid pivot toward said handle and disposed in said opening when saidhandle is in said first mentioned position and disposed out of saidopening when said handle is at right angles to said arm, whereby astructure is formed which is very strong and rigid transversely.

7. A device of the class described having in combination, a steeringarm, a handle disposed adjacent one end of said arm and having spacedlugs at one end, a pivot extending transversely through said arm and lugand connecting said handle at one end to said arm, said handle beingmovable to position in substantial longitudinal alignment with said armand to position substantially at right angles to said arm, said handlehaving a slot in said end extending longitudinally thereof adjacent saidpivot, said arm having a fiat projection extending beyond said pivot andadapted to extend into said slot when said handle is in said firstmentioned position and to be disposed out of said slot when said handleis at right angles to said arm whereby a strong structure is providedagainst strains transversely of said handle.

8. A device of the class described having in combination, a steeringarm, a handle disposed adjacent one end of said arm, a pivot extendingtransversely of said arm and handle and connecting said handle at oneend to said arm, said handle being movable to position insubstantiallongitudinal alignment with said arm and to posi- 6 tion substantiallyat right angles to said arm, said handle having a slot extendinglongitudinally therein and transversely thereof adjacent said pivot,said arm having a fiat projection extending longitudinally thereof andadapted to extend into said slot when said handle is in said firstmentioned position whereby a strong structure is provided againststrains transversely of said handle, said arm having a surface inclinedto the longitudinal axis thereof and said handle having a surfaceinclined to the longitudinal axis thereof adapted to engage said firstmentioned surface when said handle extends in substantial longitudinalalignment with said arm.

9. A device of the class described having in combination, a steering armhaving a fiat side, a handle disposed adjacent one end of said arm, apivot extending transversely of said arm and handle and connecting saidhandle at one end to said arm, said handle being movable to position insubstantial longitudinal alignment with said arm and to positionsubstantially at right angles to said arm, said handle having a slotextending longitudinally therein and transversely thereof adjacent andinwardly of said pivot, said arm having a fiat projection extendinglongitudinally thereof and adapted to extend into said slot when saidhandle is in said first mentioned position whereby a strong structure isprovided against strains transversely of said handle, said handle havinga sleeve rotatable thereon adjacent said arm and surrounding said slot,said sleeve having a slot therein adapted to be moved into and out ofalignment with said slot in said handle to respectively permit thepassage of said fiat projection therethrough and having an end adaptedto engage said side of said arm to lock said handle in position at rightangles to said arm.

MERTON F. SNYDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,191,855 Tuszka July 18, 19161,256,244 Mellin Feb. 12, 1918 1,301,802 Anderson Apr. 29, 19191,432,054 Cufi Oct. 17, 1922 1,516,637 Hoover Nov. 25, 1924 2,081,053Hobson May 18, 1937 2,092,414 Farmer Sept. 7, 1937 2,339,013 HigginsJan. 11, 1944 2,343,884 Cofling Mar. 14, 1944

